Floodgates
by Azhaq
Summary: The defence of Earth from the Flood invasion is going horribly wrong.
1. Chapter 1

"Get down!"

"Grix! Watch the right flank!"

"We'll be overwhelmed within minutes!"

"Then this is where we make our stand, the parasite cannot be allowed to pass!"

"Azhaq, on your rear!"

The small squad of Elites fought furiously in the wreckage of the crashed Covenant Cruiser in the human city of New Mombasa. Teams had been deployed all over the city to try and stem the outbreak.

The Floodgates have been opened, and the force unleashed cannot be stopped.

--

Azhaq and his small squad had come under heavy fire seconds and emerging from their drop pods after landing in the city. In an attempt to survive they had taken cover in the first place that they came across, the crashed Cruiser. They had lost contact with the Second Squad led by Delerzan hours ago even though they had landed kilometres apart.

--

A maelstrom of projectiles flew past the heads of the squad, both human and Covenant weapons were being fired on them.

Azhaq appeared from cover for a few moments to spray plasma at the advancing waves of monsters and then dove back behind cover to avoid a large spike impaling him.

He looked around at the Spec-Ops Elites that accompanied him, all wearing deep purple assault armour, he felt like the outsider of the squad, but then again he was used to being shunned, and his armour may also have caused some differences, while they wore their purple assault armour Azhaq wore a silver and red modified suit of Ascetic armour, such armour had not been seen since the Sangheili had joined the Covenant millennia ago.

Azhaq crouched down and again tried to regain contact with Delerzan.  
"Delerzan! Can you hear me? Respond! Malazan! Anyone!"

He knew that his squad, including himself, would most likely die today, but he was going to go down swinging his fists until he no longer could.

--

To be continued 31st October


	2. Chapter 2

Bodies littered the ground in a wide area surrounding the squad, but every now and again they would shuffle and rise again to rejoin the battle.  
Azhaq looked on with despair, he knew that this would end badly, every time they killed one it just rose and was joined by three others. They were going to be overrun.

If he was right the Parasite would reach them within minutes.  
Rising from cover he fired another wave of plasma at the advancing wave cutting down two infected humans and then something that Azhaq had never seen before began forcing its way through the infected horde, it stood at almost double the height of an Elite and had a huge scythe-like arm, and the worst part was that there was more than one of them.

"By the Gods! What are they?" one Elite cried.

"Does it matter? They're hostile, burn them!" replied another.

"Focus fire on the big ones! Take them down before they reach us!" Grix shouted to his confused soldiers.

Azhaq again rose from his cover and aimed both his rifles at the nearest of the creatures and began firing. He didn't cease firing until the rifles started to overheat, then, lifting his head slightly above the wreckage he was hiding behind he saw that he hadn't even bothered the creature let alone harmed it.

Then it happened.  
"Breach! The Flood have breee-aaaargh!"

Azhaq looked over and saw a Sangheili being pinned and ripped apart by a pair of infected Jiralhanae. He moved to help but was quickly set upon by a trio of infected Sangheili, one of which was wielding an energy sword. He dropped the rifle in his right hand and swung a kick at the nearest of the three driving it back, while in the movement he grabbed the sword from his left leg with his now free hand and spun into an uppercut with his blade ripping the creature apart. Keeping his distance he slid his other rifle into the magnetic lock on his back and grabbed his other sword.

Normally he would take his time in such a fight but he needed to help his comrade. He took a step back and firmly planted one foot on a rock behind him and deactivated his right sword. He waited for a moment for them to move closer and then slid his other foot up onto the rock and thrust himself forwards into the closest. As he hit he held up the hilt of his blade to the spore that was controlling the body and activated the blade and twisted his wrist. There was a screaming noise as the spore was destroyed. While Azhaq was caught in movement the other remaining Flood used it's sword to swipe at Azhaq, the only chance he had of dodging would to leave his sword remaining in the body of the fallen creature. Releasing his grip he stepped back and quickly swing his other sword in a downwards slash to pin his foes blade to the ground. With his spare hand he grabbed the tendrils of the spore and pulled with as much force as he could and ripped the parasite from the animated body. The body froze and dropped to the floor with a sighing sound. He crouched and retrieved his sword from the mangled body.  
Looking over to his comrade he saw that was too late. A spore was forcing its way into his throat.  
In a sudden fit of desperation he charged at the infected brutes that were pinning him to the ground.

He dispatched the first before they even realised they were being attacked but the second brute managed to fire a few rounds from his spiker before falling to Azhaqs blade.

Looking down Azhaq saw that his efforts were to no avail, he was too late.

Tendrils emerged from the mouth of his comrade and his skin started changing to a sickly yellow colour and bulbous growths started emerging from his skin. Tentacles started forcing their way through his skin and armour and his eyes went wide as his body began to spasm as he went into shock.

Azhaq stood watching horrified as the Sangheili began to stand again, but as he stood the skin around his head split and it fell to one side and hung from the shoulder. Azhaq stood there unable to move, he had never seen anything like this before, but his lack of action was almost fatal as his infected comrade activated the sword that was still in his grip and swung at Azhaq. The blade slashed him along the chest slicing clean through his shields and armour leaving a gash from his waist to his shoulder.

The sudden flare of pain jerked Azhaq back into action as he jumped back clutching his chest with is free hand, he no longer had any doubts about fighting that which was once his ally.

The creature made another swipe for Azhaq but he ducked and aimed a sweeping kick at its legs, one of the legs, made hollow and frail from the transformation, snapped from the blow. As it fell Azhaq thrust his blades into the chest and pulled them in opposite directions ripping it in two. The body fell scattered to the ground.

Breathing heavily Azhaq looked around to try and find his allies in the battle, as he spotted Grix, the squad leader, one of the hulking creatures roared near to him and started charging at him.

"Grix! Give me grenade cover!"

The creature continued its charge knocking a few of the smaller flood out of the way. He risked one last glance at Grix and saw him become surrounded by flood.

"Grix!" Azhaq readied his swords, looks like he was on his own.

The creature swung its huge scythe like arm in a downward swing and Azhaq stepped out of the way just in time to feel the blow brush his shields.

"Come on you ugly beast," Azhaq growled under his breath as he took a step away, "Give me just one opening, that's all I'll need."

Suddenly the beast reared its head back and spores began to pour from its mouth.

"By the Gods....what is this?" Azhaq stood staring at it for a moment before snapping back to reality.

Hearing a roar of pain he quickly looked over his shoulder to see another of his squad mates being infected by the parasite, at that moment Azhaq would have done anything to save him but to take his eyes from his enemy for more than a moment would be fatal.

And then the creature spoke,  
"I see you there noble Elite,  
but know that surviving the dead is not your fate,  
living this long is an impressive feat,  
but I'm afraid that, for you, it is too late."

Azhaq froze as it spoke, _A Gravemind! Dammit, this is bad._

Another of the hulking creatures lumbered up alongside his fellow, along with numerous combat forms.

_If this is it.....I'm taking as many of them with me as I can_, he thought clenching his fists around the handles of his swords.

They stood there facing each other, each side waiting for the other to make the first move, after a short pause an infected human dove for Azhaq, he sidestepped and slammed his elbow into its back as it flew past, shattering its back and snapping it in half. He saw another combat form heading his way, this time a brute, waiting for it to swing he ducked under the blow and slammed into the body of the creature, knocking it to the floor, he deactivated the sword in his right hand and punched straight through the spore that was buried in its neck.

Now covered in slime and rotted flesh from such close contact with the flood he stood up and reactivated his sword. Looking around he saw that even more had come to replace the ones he had killed and there was no sign of his squad mates anywhere, and with his wounds he didn't stand a chance.

Then the two pure forms advanced towards him.

_This is it._

"Is there...anyone out there?" A voice wheezed over the comms.

Azhaqs eyes widened, Grix was alive!

"This is Azhaq Dracon, Grix is that you?"

"Yes, everyone is dead Azhaq.....where are you?"

Azhaq sent his co-ordinates.

"I'm coming Azhaq, just hold on for a little longer."

_I'm not sure I will even last that long,_ he thought as the huge creatures suddenly sped up into a charge.

--

The first creature reached Azhaq and attempted to body slam him, Azhaq easily dodged the attack, but he did not have enough time to dodge the next blow from the second creature, it was only a glancing blow but the creature's strength still caused him to lose balance and fall to the ground.

Azhaq only had time to look up and see a spiked scythe arm swinging down towards him_, I failed...I'm sorry_.

Then there was a bright flash. Azhaq looked up to see a sword blocking the blow.

"Dammit Azhaq, you couldn't even last this long?" Grix stood over him with a grim smile on his face.

His armour was cracked and burned in multiple places and most of his helmet on the right side of his face had been ripped off and they were two large slash marks visible on his face where parts of the helmet had been torn off.

Azhaq rolled out from under the creature and as soon as he was clear Grix sprang away and without the sword locking it the creatures arm thudded into the ground.

"I have called for a phantom, they are going to glass the city. It's too late to stop the Flood."

Azhaq grunted his approval, as much as he hated that innocents were going to die he knew that the infection had spiralled out of control and if a Gravemind was in control the situation was worse than they had imagined. They had no choice.

"We just need to last until it arrives."

Azhaq looked at up at the Flood and then looked to Grix, "Do you seriously think that we will?"

Grix just stared at the advanced creatures, "It's been an honour fighting with you Azhaq."

"Likewise Grix. Now shall we show them why the Sangheili are feared?"

A smile could be seen through the cracks in Grixs helmet, "Yes...let's."

There were four loud clicks as four swords flashed on. They were followed by two deafening battle cries as the Elites charged at the foes, and to their deaths.

They hacked and slashed their way through dozens off the enemies, taking wounds that would drop most soldiers' dead, but they knew that they were going to die anyway and were taking as many of the cursed parasite with them as they could before their battered bodies finally give in.

One of the pure forms reared up and dealt a bone crushing blow to Azhaqs side, spinning he landed on his back on the ground, stunned he looked around for his swords that had fallen from his grip as he fell but as he reached for them the hulking creature loomed over him and raised its huge oversized arm. Azhaq suddenly faced the reality that he was going to die, he stopped reaching for his swords and accepted his death. The arm began to swing downwards and then, mid swing, the creature seemed to lose balance and the blow swung wide.

Looking up Azhaq saw a phantom dropship hovering above the battle. It had just fired its main cannon at the creature, feeling a sudden renewed vigour Azhaq dove for his swords and as he grabbed them he rolled to his feet and continued fighting.

The dropship lowered towards them, the three plasma cannons firing.

"Grix! The phantom is here!" Azhaq looked around searching for his comrade and seeing no sign of him, "Grix!"

Azhaq started panicking, he was not leaving him behind, franticly looking around he heard a noise that sounded like a sword hacking through something, he turned and began sprinting straight to the noise.

Forcing his way through the Flood horde he saw an elite lying on the ground trying to hold his attackers by swinging his sword violently at them.

"Grix!"

Grix was too busy trying to survive to notice his cry. Azhaq saw a combat form flanking Grix from the side and he was sure Grix hadn't noticed it, roaring Azhaq tackled it to the ground and then standing he stamped down on it, crushing it. He then hastily moved to Grixs side.

"Can you walk?"

"Get me on my feet and I can go."

Azhaq put one sword away and used his other to keep the Flood at bay while he used his now free hand to lift Grix from the ground.

"Come on Grix, you're too close to die now."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of dying tonight." He laughed weakly.

The plasma cannons from the Phantom cut a path to the wounded Elites, as Flood tried to board it they were repelled by a small squad of Elites wielding swords that were standing guard.

As it slowed to a stop next to them Azhaq lifted Grix with the last of his strength and an Elite on board pulled Grix the rest of the way in.

Azhaq grabbed the edge of the platform and the same Elite that helped Grix reached down to help him. Azhaq grabbed his hand but as he was pulled on board there was a burst of sound from behind and at least a dozen of the spines impaled the Elite in the throat, the first few overloaded his shield and the rest punctured his throat.

Azhaqs eyes went wide as the Elites now lifeless body swung from the side of the dropship, however Azhaq did not loosen his grip on his hand.

Still hanging from the side he called to the driver, "Go! Get us out of here!"

Azhaq knew that although the Sangheili he was now holding was dead he would be doing him a great dishonour to drop him and allow the godforsaken parasite to claim his body, especially after he had tried to save his life by pulling him on board.

Azhaq hung from the side as they started to lift off as a pair of Elites on board scrambled to pull him on board.

After being dragged on board he pulled up the body of his fallen comrade and laid him down in the centre of the floor as the side doors closed behind them.

One of the Sangheili looked at Grix, who was now unconscious, and then to Azhaq, "What happened to the rest of your squad?"

Azhaq brought his gaze to meet him in the eye, "They are no longer living, now they walk with the dead."


End file.
